A formal shirt or dress shirt is a piece of clothing with a collar that opens full-length at the front and fastens with buttons or shirt buttons. Formal shirts are made of woven fabrics such as cotton, linen, silk, wool or polyester blends and are worn by men under a coat or jacket on formal occasions, but can also be worn casually.

The formal shirts are characterized by the style of the collar, which consists of a wide, narrow or straight collar, and the button-down collar, which is fastened with small buttons on the front of the shirt. Sometimes formal shirts have a contrasting colored collar, which is generally white on colored, striped, or patterned shirts.

The insole of the collar can be pinned or unfixed depending on the stiffness or softness you need for comfort. The sleeves of the formal shirts are fastened with buttons or cufflinks, or can simply be folded back. The shirts are embroidered so that the yolk or the back of the shirt can have a different pattern, or the stripe or plaid can be placed in a contrasting pattern.

The quality of a shirt can also be checked to see how well the check and stripe pattern is lined at the seams. For formal shirts the buttons should be pearly colored for their sheen, but other buttons such as horn or plastic can be used. Always make sure the top button is narrow so that it is easier to button your shirt. A formal white shirt looks really great as an evening gown under a coat or otherwise.